CBS cancelled its BrainDead TV show after just one season. Back in October, we reported the summer series’ cancellation was due to low ratings.
A comedic political thriller, BrainDead starred Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Danny Pino, Aaron Tveit, Tony Shalhoub, Nikki M. James, Johnny Ray Gill, Charlie Semine, and Jan Maxwell. Now TV Line reports co-creator Robert King admitted the show was probably not meant for CBS or any broadcast networks.
About the BrainDead TV Show Cancellation
BrainDead follows fresh-faced, Laurel Healy (Winstead), who has returned DC to work for her brother, Senator Luke Healy (Pino) on Capitol Hill. King created the Washington DC political comic-thriller with wife Michelle King.
Here’s more from King, via TV Line:
Speaking to reporters Monday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, exec producer Robert King was asked what lessons he learned in the wake of the offbeat political dramedy’s demise after just one season.
“Avoid satire,” he responded with a laugh. “It was a show that was trying to be as weird and anti-network as could be, and it was probably a mistake to do that on a network. But I loved that show.”
The one silver lining of BrainDead‘s cancellation: It freed up him and partner Michelle King to take on a larger role (as showrunners) in the forthcoming Good Wife spin-off The Good Fight.
What do you think? Did you watch the first season of the BrainDead TV show? Do you think it might have had a longer run on premium cable or a streaming platform? Sound off in the comments.
I often think about this very brief series – it was eerily applicable to what began to happen just prior to the election. I have to wonder if this was a forewarning of what was to come….and perhaps the reason it was canceled….
Just discovered this show – binge watching it Netflix dvd – I can well believe the idiots at CBS would cancel, but why it wasn’t picked up by a streaming/cable channel I can’t imagine. Love it – and I will never hear that Cars song again without immediately thinking “They’re infected” lol
I watched this show when it was first on, and thought of it today when watching AG Barr stand there and lie. If this show were true it would explain a lot.
I cannot believe that this show has not been re-newed . This is light humour in dark times. I absolutely loved it. Well written. Excellent acting and such great characters
This is a poor poor poor decision.
Bring it back!!!
Found this on Amazon Prime, absolutely love it!!!!
Ended up watching the entire season 1 in one sitting, wish they hadn’t cancelled it.
Great show, refreshing change, so well written and acted…
WE NEED MORE!!!
I am from the UK and this took my mind of the silliness of British politics. I loved it. I loved the singing catch up, which I played back again and again. Such a shame it was cancelled when with the pandemic, we could all do with a laugh.
We found this show on Prime as we ‘self isolate’ due to the pandemic. Jeeze, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d write. Anyway – the show is very, very good indeed. It’s smart, silly, and strangely ‘zeitgeisty’. Definitely one to binge during the lockdown. Amazon – get behind it!
It was a great show and I hate that it was cancelled. Bring it back, maybe as a Netflix series!!!!!
I came across brain-dead on Amazon prime and immediately fell in love with it, the casting is fantastic the storyline wonderful, shame that it was cancelled after the first series. Prime; bring back brain-dead
I think this show was fantastic, easy to watch, very funny, intelligent and novel storyline, and the casting was great. I only found the show by mistake; had never heard of it. I really think a Netflix audience would lap it up and wish they someone would pick it up and produce another season.
loved it
I watched brain-dead and loved every episode, why is this not more popular? Cast was great acting was superb please please someone take this show up, let’s have more of this good TV.
I loved this series and the cast. I found myself hooked. It is smart without being over the average person’s head. There are no other shows like it. A cross between political drama, sci fi, and comedy. Who does a show that’s immediately relevant to today’s political climate and issues of the day with a sci-fi twist??… No one, which is why we need more of it. I agree, it probably would have had a better home on a streaming platform or something. Those “geniuses” at CBS should bring it back or sell it to Netflix.
I LOVED this series and found it very addictive. It is well written and very funny. I was so disappointed to find out that the 2nd series had been cancelled. Please rethink and bring it back….